Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below shows average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given multiple line graph illustrates the average carbon dioxide emmited by single person in 4 different countries, namely United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

Overall, United kingdom is highly responsible for the corbon dioxide emission while portugal emmitted relatively less carbon dioxide.Notably, by the year of 2007, Sweden and Portugal were equally emmitted carbon dioxide.The carbon dioxide emission from United Kingdom gradually decreased throughout the period while from Sweden it initially increased till 1977 then followed the downwards trend. Likewise, the emission from Italy and Portugal inclined till 1997 and remained stable between 2007.

The emission of carbon dioxide per person in Portugal Increased till 1987 before slighltly fluctuation in 1987 and then rose till 1997 and remained stable till 2007.Similarly, the released of carbon dioxide from single person in Italy inclined till 1977 before slightly decreasing till 1987. The figure then achieved a peak in 1997 and remaind unchanged till 2007.

In contrast, released of carbon dioxide from an individual in United kindom gradually decreased throughout the period while, in Sweden carbon dioxide emission from an individual increased inially till 1977 then decreased considerably throughout the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall patterns: UK emissions declined, Sweden rose and then fell, and Italy and Portugal increased before levelling off. The comparison that Sweden and Portugal were equal in 2007 is also accurate. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: Portugal did not fluctuate around 1987; it rose steadily at each recorded point, and Italy did not decrease between 1977 and 1987, but increased slightly. The overview also says Italy and Portugal remained stable “between 2007,” which does not clearly describe the final period. To strengthen the response, report key figures or clearer comparisons—for example, the UK remained highest, while Italy overtook Sweden by 1997—and ensure each trend matches the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and paragraphs describing the country trends. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Similarly” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the UK’s decline and Sweden’s rise-then-fall are described in both the overview and final paragraph, while the country details are split across paragraphs without a clear grouping principle. Some connections are also awkward, such as “Likewise” before the Italy and Portugal trends, which are not identical, and “before slightly fluctuation” does not clearly connect the stages. Group the two rising countries together and the two declining countries together, and use references and transitions that make each comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “emission,” “decreased,” “increased,” “peak” and “remained stable,” so the main trends are generally understandable. There is also some attempt to vary wording with “released” and “inclined.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “highly responsible for” suggests responsibility rather than a high emissions level, “inclined” is not a natural substitute for “rose,” and “equally emitted” is an awkward way to compare figures. Spelling errors such as “emmited,” “corbon,” “slighltly” and “remaind” also reduce control. Prefer precise chart language such as “recorded,” “stood at,” “rose” and “fell,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “while,” “before” and “then,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with verb forms and sentence construction. For example, “Sweden and Portugal were equally emmitted” should use a comparison such as “had equal emissions,” while “before slightly fluctuation” needs a grammatical form such as “before fluctuating slightly.” The phrase “remained stable between 2007” lacks a clear time span, and punctuation is inconsistent, including missing spaces after full stops and an unnecessary comma in “while, in Sweden.” Build accurate comparisons and time clauses, and proofread articles, verb forms and punctuation while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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